Page 88 of Blood Bound (Blood Mafia 3)

Chapter Eighteen

Grayson

“Come on, Lacey, this will be good for you.”

The little witch blows out a breath and ruffles her bangs. “Mateo hardly wants me to help.”

I poke her arm. “He asked me to ask you to come to the meeting.”

She groans. “Why me? Can’t I just stay in my apartment until you all blast Nix to pieces and then go home?”

No doubt she misses the solitude of her cozy country home.

“You can go home soon,” I say and adjust the strings on my hoodie. One is longer than the other, and I have to fix it.

She watches me adjust it with a grin. “You’re a weirdo, you know that?”

I scoff and head toward her door. “Come on, Lacey. Let’s go.”

Dragging her feet in a rather dramatic display of obstinance, she follows me to level sixteen. This is the first time I’ve gotten her to leave her cocoon of safety. Nix terrified her.

We enter the meeting room and I smile when I see Demi. She twinkles her fingers at me in greeting and walks over, holding her hand out to Lacey.

“I’m Demi. It’s nice to finally meet you in a non-life-or-death situation.”

Lacey chuckles and places her hand in Demi’s. “I’m Lacey.”

Demi’s brown eyes flit to me then back to the witch. “Grayson told me you’re an amazing witch.”

Her cheeks flush and she shrugs. “I’m okay.”

“Okay? She’s being modest. Lacey can do about anything you need.”

“Except break through dark magic.”

Tipping her head to the side, Demi frowns. “I don’t think keeping your morals means you’re not good at what you do. I don’t blame you for not wanting to do blood magic.”

Lacey wrinkles her nose and waves her hand. “I’m not good with compliments.”

“Fair enough. I do want to ask you for help though, maybe later?” Demi asks.

I’m curious to learn what Demi might want from Lacey, but Mateo walks up behind me. I direct Lacey to one of the chairs around a large oak table and take the one next to her. Demi sits on my other side and Alissa sits next to her. Colt joins Mateo at the head of the table.

Mateo glances around the room, meeting each person’s gaze before looking at the folder placed in front of him.

“We have a problem.” He flips open the file, and takes out a picture, handing it to Colt to pass around.

Alissa studies it before handing it to Demi with a grimace. Demi releases a softohwhen she sees the carnage.

I’ve already stared at the blood and gore on the page. Mateo had me gather the information earlier this morning when the call came in that another shipment along with the carriers were destroyed.

By destroyed I mean blown to pieces.

My guy in Montana sent over the pictures. I found video footage from a traffic camera on the freeway a few miles from the blast site.

“Who did this?” Demi hands the picture to me.

I give it to Lacey. “Black Claw M.C., the same shifters responsible for the last disruption.”

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